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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29013609">Bootboy Redemption Arc</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/iiStarnet/pseuds/iiStarnet'>iiStarnet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>HLVRAI - Fandom, Half Life VR: But The AI is Self Aware</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Amputation, Backround Bubby x Coomer, Bonding, Dissociation, H.E.C.U marines, M/M, Not a game, Post-Betrayal, Self-Loathing, They're all Neurodivergent, guys being dudes, working together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:55:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,159</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29013609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/iiStarnet/pseuds/iiStarnet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gordon has just awoken after being betrayed by two of his teammates. He's wounded and alone. Out of all the people in this facility, Gordon Freeman certainly wasn't expecting a certain soldier to be the one that cares about him.</p><p>[currently on hiatus, will return in the summer]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gordon Freeman/Forzen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Apprehension</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So where are we taking this ‘Freeman’ guy?”</p><p>“Topside for questioning.”</p><p>“What the hell for? We got him! Let’s kill him now!”</p><p>“Uh… and if they find the body?”</p><p>“Body? What body?”</p><p> </p><p>Before Gordon’s flickering consciousness finally faded out, he could make out the laughter coming from the two soldiers dragging his body.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Everything hurts.</p><p>That was honestly all Gordon could think of.</p><p> </p><p>As he awoke with a gasp, he noted the heavy tightness in his chest, the ache in his bones, and the fatigue in his entire body. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before. The migraine he had been dealing with throughout his entire escape from Black Mesa had gone from irritating to downright <em> excruciating. </em>He forced his eyes open, briefly noting how heavy his eyelids felt. Lifting his head off the ground felt like a chore, and the added weight of the HEV Suit helmet didn’t help whatsoever. It was then that Gordon decided he needed fresh air. Air that didn’t pass through what must be by now an incredibly dirty filter. He lifted his right arm up and behind his head to try and feel around for the helmet latch.</p><p>He was puzzled by the fact that his hand had failed to touch anything. Gordon sat up as best as he could, and took a minute to examine his Left hand. And then he looked over to the empty space where his right hand used to be.</p><p>His confusion turned to horror, and then nausea as the memories of what transpired came flooding back.</p><p> </p><p>Benrey. Bubby. They betrayed him.</p><p> </p><p>It was then that his nervous system decided that now was the perfect time to light up in agony, sending messages to the brain that something was seriously wrong with Gordon’s body. Like it would do much now.</p><p> </p><p>Gordon took a few steadying breathes, loathing how little air it seemed there was in his helmet. He tried his best to push past the pain of losing a limb as he tried to survey his surroundings.</p><p> </p><p>Wherever he was, he was in a fucking dump. Literally.</p><p>The smell of rotten garbage, coupled with mystery stains and wood splinters on the floor made Gordon think of the time he woke up hungover in a dumpster back in MIT. As he took a good look at the hydraulic system connecting to a large wall, his brain finally caught up to where he was. He was in the Black Mesa garbage compactor. Gordon was suddenly very thankful that the HEV Suit was there to protect him from what must surely be a bacterial breeding ground. </p><p>He slowly but surely managed to get up to his feet, and his brain suddenly supplied him with a new fact. He was on the wrong side of the trash compactor. The idiot grunts who had dragged his unconscious body were so desperate to get rid of him that they ended up accidentally throwing him in the wrong part of the compactor. Gordon couldn't help but scoff.</p><p> </p><p>“This is not where the job gets done.”</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes bumbling about the area, he managed to locate a ladder which led to a ledge that he could perch himself on. He watched as the machinery suddenly turned back on, as it must have decided that now all the waste that needed to be compacted was crushed into fine paste. Gordon’s eye caught the ladder on the other side of the crushing area, coupled with a latch that could lead him up to surface ground. He managed the walk over to the other side by clinging onto the ledge, and he climbed up the ladder. His eyes were already aching, but thankfully the visor of the HEV suit helmet was enough to shield his eyes. He took a few more minutes to get his bearings and to generally process what the hell just happened to him.</p><p> </p><p>Gordon understood now. He had enemies within his own friend group. But why? What did he do? He knew that Bubby could be a spiteful smartass, but did he really hate Gordon that much? He wasn’t the one who fucked up the experiment! He did everything as he had been instructed to do. He warned Bubby, Tommy, and Coomer while he was in the barrel that there was some who definitely <em> should not have fucking been there! </em>But they didn’t listen! Noo. Why should they listen to Gordon? Nobody listens to Gordon, ever. And why should they? Gordon isn’t smart, he isn’t popular, he’s just the nuisance.</p><p> </p><p>Gordon felt his eyes water as he spiraled further into self loathing. The Scientists at Black Mesa were never the kindest to him. Hell, the morning of the big test, everyone was giving him the cold shoulder. Except Tommy, and that’s probably because he was the new guy. And Coomer. Gordon’s heart sunk further as he fell down the rabbit hole of overthinking. </p><p>Why hadn’t they done anything? Gordon went into the room first, sure. But couldn’t have Dr. Coomer done something to fight the soldiers off? Couldn’t have Tommy used his crackshot aim to take the fuckers out before he even stepped foot into the room? The two people in his friend group that didn’t outwardly hate him didn’t even bother to save him.</p><p> </p><p>He hated this. Gordon had half a mind to crawl back into the trash compactor and wait for the machinery to activate again. At least if he was human mush surrounded by a layer of heat-resistant kevlar, the bacteria in the compactor space would think he’s useful.</p><p> </p><p>Gordon took a deep, steady breath in. He held it, then exhaled through his mouth. He repeated this for several minutes straight, trying to get a grip on himself. He eventually found the will to get back up on his feet.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t die now. Not after all he’d been through.</p><p> </p><p>He took one shaky step after the other as he made his way across the desert yard. It led to a dead end, but his eyes caught a grate cover that looked like it was already un-bolted. He managed to lift the thing up high enough to peer inside the pipe, noting the light reflecting off it’s metallic walls. He decided to try his luck, and jumped in.</p><p> </p><p>He went tumbling out the pipe into a puddle of water. He grunted as the searing pain of sewage water connected with his bleeding stump of an arm. His will to survive was dwindling even more now, and he wondered that if he shut his eyes now, would he even care if he never got to open them again? </p><p> </p><p>If he hadn’t been interrupted, Gordon probably would have just accepted his fate. But that couldn’t happen.</p><p> </p><p>Gordon twitched as he made out the sounds of footsteps approaching him. He managed to roll over onto his back, shutting his eyes as sunlight was beamed directly into his face. Even with the tinted visor, it hurt like hell. Gordon registered something moving to block the sunlight from hitting his eyes, and he opened them again.</p><p> </p><p>As he desperately blinked the spots out of his eyes, he registered the silhouette of a man. A considerably large man. As he focused more on the man, he could make out more features on him. His scarred face, his beret, and most importantly, the standard gear that all the marines were wearing during their mission. Gordon gasped as he realized he was now at the mercy of one of the soldiers. He opened his mouth, and he couldn't think of anything else to say other than “Hey!”</p><p> </p><p>The soldier blinked slowly, and responded in a deadpan voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey.”</p><p> </p><p>Gordon felt adrenaline rush through his veins, and he sat up suddenly, kicking his feet as he tried to scoot away from the marine. Said marine put his hands up, attempting to appear non threatening.</p><p> </p><p>“Yo, calm down.” His face remained neutral, but his voice carried genuine concern in it. Gordon paused, and he craned his head to get a better look at the soldier’s face. Something about it was so...familiar…</p><p> </p><p>The soldier spoke again. “You look like shit, dude. Well, your armor does, at least. You know that thing makes you look like an ice pop, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Gordon’s eyes widened as his brain finally put a name to the soldier’s face. It was Forzen.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh! Its...you?” </p><p> </p><p>Forzen blinked slowly again, before his scarred face suddenly lit up. “Yo it’s me! What’s up dawg?”</p><p> </p><p>Gordon didn’t feel like returning his smile. “Are you here to finish me off?” His muscles tensed in anticipation.</p><p> </p><p>“Wha?” Was the answer that came from Forzen. “What’re you talking about?”</p><p> </p><p>Gordon felt his face heat up in anger.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m talking about THIS, you bastard!” He yelled as he lifted up his right arm to show off the still bleeding stump. Forzens eyes widened in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Ohh shit. How’d that happen?” Forzen’s question didn’t sound like the kind of question you ask when someone’s got their limb cut off. It was more like he was just asking what the weather was gonna be tomorrow. Gordon thought he wasn’t nearly concerned enough, which meant only one thing in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>“You rat fuck. You and your crew did this to me!” Gordon tried to stand up, and failed miserably, toppling over before getting caught in the Marine’s large arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Nu-uh. I didn’t do that. Haven’t even seen you and your friends since last time.” </p><p> </p><p>Gordon cursed at the fact that he was now clinging to Forzen in an attempt to stay upright. He managed to get the question out anyways. “What do you mean ‘last time’?”</p><p> </p><p>Forzen smacked his lips. “Y’know. When you guys cornered me and asked about Benrey. That one guy who likes beyblades was there.”</p><p> </p><p>Oh. So Forzen wasn’t the one who cut his hand off. But the fucker was still with the military. “Well, your buddies beat me up in the dark and they cut my hand off!” Gordon shouted indignantly. He looked up at Forzen to see an annoyed expression on the marine’s scarred face.</p><p> </p><p>“They’re not my buddies. They don’t even like me. They made fun of me when I asked them to join Team Nice.” Forzen spoke with a hint of venom in his voice. Gordon was sorely lacking the braincells to comprehend what the fuck that even meant. All he could get out was “Huh?” </p><p> </p><p>Forzen smacked his lips again. “I told you, dude. I’ve always been the only one in Team Nice. Nobody else wanted to join me ‘cause they thought it was dumb not to kill people.” Gordon stood up a bit straighter, and cleared his throat. “What does that mean,” He asked. “What does Team Nice do?”</p><p> </p><p>Forzen looked him in the eyes before staring off into space. He then explained his rocky history with his fellow H.E.C.U. Marines.</p><p>“So basically,” He started, “We don’t kill people. We’re Team Nice. We don’t just go around shooting random people, because that’s not cool. We’re not uh...Animals. I asked the fellas in my squad if they wanted to join Team Nice, but they all laughed at me. They called me a kid and told me to get over myself.” Forzen grimaced as he recalled the teases his peers threw at him. He continued. “I thought it would be a cool idea because I know there’s other guys like me, man. I don’t wanna kill people. Especially not scientists. And I wanna go through these missions without having to fuckin’ end someones bloodline. You know how shit that is, bro?” Forzen’s eyes were filled with genuine sorrow, and Gordon couldn’t help but feel bad for the marine.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s bad but...what do you mean you ‘know there's other guys like you’?” Gordon’s question made Forzen fluster.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m telling you-! Look. I told you bro, I just wanna graduate. I don’t got money and I wanted to get ahead in life without paying no dumbass student loans. So like, I didn’t know- I didn’t know what to do! And then you, you go to the mall to look for any job applications cause you got bills to pay, and the nice man at the army booth starts bringing you in with his shit! He’s all like-” Forzen’s voice drops to a lower, gruffer tone, “-oh wow uh whoa! Hey there buddy you wanna uh. You wanna pay for your college debt? You get to meet cool new friends and you’ll be saving the WORLD. But most importantly, you’re gonna save AMERICA.” Forzen’s voice then goes back to his normal pitch. “And then I’m like ‘Yeeaaah man! :)’ and I go to sign up for the, fuckin’ miltiary bullshit. And then when you go to boot camp the guys all like-” Forzen’s voice again drops to that rougher pitch. “Alright you PUSSIES. You’re gonna learn how to kill people.” Forzen’s voice once again goes back to normal pitch. “And then I’m like ‘Nooo man! :(‘ and THEN the fucking uh. The guys are all sent to H.E.C.U base quarters after they’re done training and then we all get sent here. And NOW our orders are ‘Oh you gotta kill ALL the scientists in the facility, along with the super cool aliens.’ And now I’m like ‘NOOOO MAN! :(((‘.”</p><p> </p><p>Gordon silently laughs as Forzen’s words spill out of his mouth. It’s a sad story, but Gordon can’t help but chuckle at his rambling, for some reason. Forzen continues. “I don’t wanna fuckin’ be here bro! I wanna go home and play beyblades and watch Irate Gamer on youtube yownloader. I hate this place man. And I keep getting in trouble for not killing scientists.” Forzen’s laments touched a special place in Gordon’s heart. He knew the stress of academia, and what you’d do just to make sure you lessen the sheer amount of debt you’re in the moment you enter your adult life. “I get that, man.” Forzen look down at Gordon, and the scientist finally got a good look at the tears brimming in the Marine’s eyes. He felt a pang of hurt in his chest. “Look, I really don’t want to be at this facility either. I tried to escape with my frie-my… co-workers.” Gordon didn’t think he could truly call the Science team his friends. Not anymore, at least. “Two of them sold me out to the military and they led me to a room, and then…” Gordon trailed off, only raising his right arm. Forzen nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“That sucks dude.” Forzen paused, before continuing his thought. “...I could help you.” The proposition came out as a mumble, but Gordon managed to understand it. “Huh? Help me?” Forzen nodded. “There’s probably a med-station in the building over there… You probably want that for the uh...hand.” Gordon blinked before suddenly remembering his predicament. Holy shit, he was so engrossed in this guy’s story that he forgot he had a massive wound that needed tending to. He sighed in relief, as at least now he had a man on his side.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I-Yeah. I really need help. I- Gordon need-<em> WHOA! </em> ” Gordon cut himself off as he was suddenly lifted up and placed in a fireman carry by Forzen. “Team Nice is coming in clutch!” Forzen bellowed at the top of his lungs as he sprinted towards the building. Gordon laughed deliriously. “Fffuck yeah! Team Nice!” Gordon cheered from his position on Forzen’s shoulders, unable to see the sudden flush of red spilling across the Marine’s face.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Residue Processing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Water Tower was a hassle to manage. Gordon felt a bit embarrassed as he knew he was just extra weight for the soldier carrying him, but Forzen didn’t have any complaints. It took Gordon by surprise when Forzen set him down for a moment.</p>
<p>“Need to change positions dude. You gotta uh...piggy back, so I can climb the ladder.”</p>
<p>It took Gordon’s frazzled brain a few moments to catch up before he nodded, and proceeded to climb onto Forzen’s back.</p>
<p>It was an odd feeling. Even as a child, Gordon never liked being carried piggy-back style. Something about having to cling to someone else made a tingle of anxiety climb up his back. All he could do was clench his arms and thighs around Forzen’s body, waiting with baited breath for him to slip and they’d both tumble down. Thankfully, it never came to that.</p>
<p>Gordon would never admit the small sense of security he felt with the soldier. He reasoned with himself that it was only due to instinct. Humans would always group up when faced with danger, it was ingrained in everyone’s DNA. As Forzen finally reached the top of the tower, Gordon squeaked as he saw the massive drop down below. It was easily a 20 ft drop to the bottom of the tower. If Gordon could squint, he could make out an opening on the side, most likely a pipe. Gordon barely had time to think before Forzen suddenly gripped his thighs and told him to “hold on tight.”</p>
<p>Before Gordon’s brain could kick in, he watched as Forzen jumped down the tower. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t scream. It was the longest second of Gordon’s life, and he wasn’t prepared for death this time.</p>
<p>Death however, did not come. Forzen landed at the bottom without even a grunt of pain. Gordon’s eyes were clenched shut as he continued to scream. He didn’t stop until Forzen elbowed him in the middle, a bit <em> too </em>hard, if Gordon was being honest. The Scientist opened his eyes as he looked back up to the top of the Water silo. “Oh,” was the only word he could manage.</p>
<p>“Mhmm.” Gordon couldn’t tell if Forzen was annoyed with him.</p>
<p>The two men took a moment to study the pipe opening in front of them. Forzen took out his flashlight and shined it in, looking for any headcrabs waiting in the dark for more prey. Satisfied with his quick searched, he shrugged Gordon off of him.</p>
<p>“You ok to walk?” Gordon thought for a moment, and nodded his head. He shakily got up to his feet, and gave Forzen a thumbs up. </p>
<p>“I wanna go in first,” said Gordon. “I know it’s not safe but something about crawling behind someone in pipes really just doesn’t make me feel good.” Forzen looked a bit surprised at that.</p>
<p>“Uhh. Ok bro, after you.” Forzen motioned towards the pipe, and Gordon got down on all fours and began to crawl. He heard Forzen crawling behind him, dead silent. The quiet was beginning to seriously unnerve the Scientist.</p>
<p>Gordon squinted at the light ahead, and he slowed down as he took a minute to survey the room.</p>
<p>It was a large room, with two massive containers of radioactive waste on the right side of the room. Another pipe opening was there, just above the container. On the left side of the room, a medstation with the corpse of a headcrab underneath. Gordon nearly cried in relief before he looked straight down, and saw a scientist sitting there, staring off into space.</p>
<p>Although his lab coat was coated in dried blood, and his face carried a haunted expression unfamiliar to his usually bright and sunny demeanor, Gordon recognized him in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>It was Tommy.</p>
<p>“...Hey! Hey Tommy!” Gordon yelled out to get the other scientist’s expression. Forzen poked his shoulder. “Is someone there, dude?” Gordon heard Forzen’s uneasy voice come from behind him. He didn’t answer as he saw Tommy look up at him.</p>
<p>“Hello, Mr. Freeman…” Tommy’s voice was empty, and he seemed to be staring both at Gordon and something thousands of miles away.</p>
<p>“Tommy, are you- are you here to finish me off?” Gordon didn’t feel bad about not bothering with pleasantries. He needed to be sure.</p>
<p>“...No.” Tommy looked absolutely hollow, and it had to have been the most unnerving thing Gordon had seen thus far.</p>
<p>Gordon decided now would be a good time to drop out of the pipe, and he landed squarely on a crate below the pipe. He cursed as crashed through the crate, and he snapped his head up when he heard Tommy gasp.</p>
<p>“Soldier!” was all that Gordon could hear before he heard Tommy unload an entire magazine into Forzen.</p>
<p>“NO!” Gordon screamed desperately, “He’s not with the military!” Gordon craned his neck up to see what must surely have been a bloodied corpse now riddled with bullets, and was surprised to see Forzen still sitting perfectly still, albeit bloody.</p>
<p>“Ow.” Forzen’s reply made it sound like getting shot multiple times was something to be bored over, and Gordon looked back down at Tommy to see him looking back at Gordon with an uncertain expression on his face.</p>
<p>“You trust him?” Tommy’s voice shook slightly, and Gordon began the laborious task of getting back on his own two feet in an effort to try to explain to the older man the situation.</p>
<p>“Forzen isn’t with the military. He’s on our side. And he said he would help me with my arm.” Tommy’s eyes lit up suddenly as it seemed he finally realized what was off about Gordon’s appearance.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, you don’t have a hand!” Tommy was shocked to see it up close, as the wound looked even worse than it sounded getting cut.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” was all Gordon could say. He heard a thud next to him as Forzen dropped down with him. He stood up alongside Gordon, watching Tommy with a neutral expression on his face. Gordon made a dash for the med-station on the other side of the room, trying to figure out how the damn thing worked. “Where’s the latch for this thing? Gordon’s losing blood, here!” Gordon’s annoyed voice rang out through the room, and he heard Forzen’s footsteps approaching as he stood beside him, studying the Med-Station.</p>
<p>“Oh shit, is this one of the ones with magic juice?”</p>
<p>Gordon blinked a few times before he turned to Forzen. “What?”</p>
<p>Forzen’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, this is one with magic juice. And it doesn’t have any juice left. Shit.”</p>
<p>Gordon was even more confused now. <em> “What?” </em></p>
<p>Forzen continued. “Man, what happened to gauze and antiseptic? Suddenly is Shit Mesa too good for regular old bandaids or some shit? Fuck this place, yo.”</p>
<p>Gordon was getting incredibly annoyed at the fact he wasn’t getting any answers. <em> “What?!” </em></p>
<p>Forzen turned to look at him. “It’s outta juice bro.” Gordon felt dread pool in his stomach. “It’s not working?” Forzen shook his head sadly. “Someone prolly used it all up. That sucks. Magic juice would patch that shit up in <em> seconds </em>, bro.”</p>
<p>Gordon was still incredibly confused by Forzen’s wording. “What the hell is magic juice?”</p>
<p>Forzen’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “You don’t know? I thought Black Mesa specialized in making that shit bro.” Gordon shook his head before he heard Tommy pipe up behind Forzen.</p>
<p>“Are you talking about the Regeneration Compound?” Forzen looked at Tommy and blinked. “Uh… yeah. The green shit that makes scars disappear. Sergeant said that Black Mesa produces the stuff. He had no idea what was in it, just where it came from.”  </p>
<p>Gordon shrugged. “I honestly never questioned it. I just accepted that the Med-Stations had mystery gunk that could heal fatal wounds.” Gordon sighed as he realized his current predicament. “With all the shit that’s happened, everyone probably already emptied out every single med-station in Black Mesa. I’m <em> fucked </em>.” His voice trembled, and Forzen put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay, dude. We’ll find one.” The Marine’s voice was soft and gentle, and Tommy raised an eyebrow at the display.</p>
<p>“Have we uh, met before?” Forzen looked back at Tommy. “Uh, yeah. I uh, tried to lead you to a beyblade. Remember that dude?” Tommy’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Ohh yeah!” His tone suddenly changed to one of annoyance. “You ran off.” Forzen awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “You guys were scaring the shit outta me, so I booked it. Sorry.” Gordon decided he would pump the breaks on this before it got out of hand.</p>
<p>“Tommy, listen. Do you know where the others are? Fucking, Benrey and Bubby? Where are they?”</p>
<p>Tommy’s eyes changed to that same, empty look. “No… we all got split up. The military, they, uh, they gave me a beyblade and told me not to look… they took the beyblade back though. And they let me keep my guns for some reason.” Gordon became nervous now that he had learned that Tommy was bribed to not pay attention.</p>
<p>“Look, if-if we get cornered by more soldiers and they- if they offer you a beyblade, would you sell me out? Would you go back to them?” Gordon asked an innocent question, and his nervousness only doubled when Tommy hesitated to give him an answer.</p>
<p>“Not that hard of a fucking question to answer.” Forzen’s voice suddenly cut in, full of venom. Tommy and Gordon both flinched. “N-No,” was Tommy’s answer. Gordon decided to step in and try to get control of the situation.</p>
<p>“Look, we all gotta get out of here. We need to stick together, especially now. I know that Bubby and Benrey sold me out, and I don’t know if Coomer is with them. I really fucking hope Coomer isn’t with them, or else we’re all fucked.”</p>
<p>Tommy nodded silently, and Forzen decided now was a perfect time to ask, “Is Coomer the one with the glasses, or the one with the einstein cut?”</p>
<p>“Einstein.” Gordon Answered. Forzen shivered. “I swear to god, I saw like, 5 guys that looked exactly like him.”</p>
<p>“Those were his clones…” Tommy’s voice still had that empty tone, as if he were miles away. All at once, Gordon realized what was going on. Tommy was dissociating, <em> hard </em>. Gordon got close and put a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “We just gotta stick together man, alright? Safety in numbers, y’know?”</p>
<p>Tommy nodded his head. “We should get going, this room isn’t sanitary.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After making their way through more vats of radioactive sludge and a conveyor belt, the three of them eventually made their way to the waterways of the facility. Tommy was a bit more trusting of Forzen, and Gordon was thankful for that, even though he knew the two of them weren’t going to be doing trust falls anytime soon. They were more concerned about the sights they had seen.</p>
<p>“What the fuck was up with the skulls? Those shits were just riding along on a conveyor belt.” Forzen sounded genuinely perplexed, and Gordon agreed with him. “Black Mesa is so fucking weird.” Tommy stayed silent. Tommy and Gordon both took a breath of air as they prepared to jump into the water, but stopped as Forzen grabbed Gordon’s shoulder, pulling him back from the water.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Forzen asked.</p>
<p>“I-what?” Gordon started, “we gotta swim though, dude. We gotta-” Forzen cut him off. “You’re gonna swim through sewer water with an open wound? Bro, that’s gonna lead to you getting your whole arm amputated.” </p>
<p>Gordon sputtered. <em> “What?” </em></p>
<p>Forzen shrugged. “Y’know. An infection? You’re smart, you’re a doctor. Fuckin’ figure it out bro. Think about it.” Although Forzen couldn’t see it, Gordon’s face blanched as he hadn’t thought very hard about the possibility of losing his entire arm. Tommy’s voice cut in. “If we-If we uh, we swim fast enough, we can still just disinfect the wound without a large infection if we find a med-station fast enough.” Gordon nodded slowly. “He’s got a point man, we don’t have many options.” Forzen’s eyes softened as he nodded as he walked to the edge of the water path. “Oh-! I forgot!” Forzen and Gordon looked over at Tommy attentively. Tommy continued, “we’re gonna have to swim under something that looks like a giant beyblade.”</p>
<p>Forzen gulped, and Gordon just shook his head.</p>
<p>“Fuck it,” supplied the Theoritcal Physicist, “Not like shit can get any weirder.” Gordon lept into the water and saw what Tommy was talking about. A large machine that kept the water moving was in front of him. It wasn’t very hard to bypass, as Gordon just had to swim close to the floor. Although his helmet was banged and scratched up, Gordon was thankful that it was still airtight underwater. He looked back to see that Tommy and Forzen swam under the supposed “Giant Beyblade.” Forzen pointed to Gordon’s right, and the Scientists looked over to see a space, leading up into another room. Gordon made a thumbs-up with his remaining hand, and swam up and over to the opening. As his head breached the surface, Gordon’s heart caught in his throat as he beheld the sight in front of him.</p>
<p>It was Dr. Coomer.</p>
<p>More specifically, it was hundreds of Dr. Coomers. All standing still, all facing him. Every single clone looked exactly the same, right down to the wrinkles decorating each individual face. They all had a blank, empty expression on their faces which landed them straight into “Uncanny Valley” levels of fucked-up. Gordon’s eyes landed on a specific Coomer standing in the middle of the room, as he was the most different of all of them. Instead of the neat, combed style of his greying hair, this Coomer’s hair was frazzled, and his face carried a rabid look on it. It was terrifying. Gordon heard Tommy gasp as him and Forzen swam up behind him and breached the surface of the disgusting sewer water. </p>
<p>“What the F-” Forzen couldn’t even finish his statement before the clones in the room all at once spoke a single phrase out loud.</p>
<p>
  <em> “Hello, Gordon!” </em>
</p>
<p>The room erupted into chaos as every single clone made a break for the trio.</p>
<p>Tommy jumped out of the water and scrambled to a corner. Forzen jumped out of the water, dragging Gordon with him. The soldier then charged at a group of Coomer’s that were charging at Gordon. He was locked in hand-to-hand combat with the elderly men. Gordon assumed that Forzen was expecting an easy win, and it only made his heart sink further as he watched Forzen quickly get overwhelmed with the clone’s combat skills. It seemed as though the prime Dr. Coomer’s boxing abilities had trickled into every genetic copy of him. It certainly didn’t help that Gordon was becoming overwhelmed by the sheer volume in the room, as every clone was repeating the same phrase over and over again.</p>
<p>
  <em> “Hello, Gordon!” </em>
</p>
<p>Gordon registered Tommy’s panicked response somewhere to his left. “Hello Dr. Coomer!” Gordon didn’t have time to dwell on it as he heard the rabid Coomer start talking. His voice was louder, more human than the other clones.</p>
<p>“I’ve unleashed the power of all 300 clones!” The mad scientist gleefully bragged his power while Forzen cried out in pain from the blows he was receiving from the clones. Gordon screamed and tried to run, only to get backed up into a corner. He was forced to look at the empty faces of his teammate, feeling his head getting barraged by the same two words over and over again.</p>
<p>
  <em> “Hello, Gordon!” </em>
</p>
<p>Gordon could still make out what he knew now was the original Dr. Coomer.</p>
<p>“There’s an entrance in your suit, Dr. Freeman. <em> And I want in. </em>”</p>
<p>Gordon cried out in fear as he could make out the Coomer clones scaling up the walls in his peripheral vision. <em> “This is the worst possible situation!” </em>Gordon was more terrified now then he was during the beat-down he received. It feels like days ago now. Gordon could suddenly register gunfire. Specifically, the gunshots of a MP5. Forzen had the right idea by mowing down the Coomer clones. Gordon then heard another set of gunshots, most likely coming from Tommy. The new artillery didn’t do much to the Clones currently swarming Gordon. All of them repeating that same phrase.</p>
<p>
  <em> “Hello, Gordon!” </em>
</p>
<p>A stray(?) bullet knocked out a Coomer clone directly in front of Gordon, and now the scientist could see the true Dr. Coomer standing in front of him. His face had the general vibes of a rabid dog, decorated with splatters of clone blood. “I’ve been outside Black Mesa, Dr. Freeman,” Coomer started, “<em> And there’s nothing there. </em> ” The clones suddenly shifted then, changing from mindless movements to something more coordinated. They all reached out and held Gordon in place. Gordon cried out for help again, and watched in dismay as his two allies were occupied with mowing down the clones. All he could do was watch in fear as the Original Dr. Coomer got closer to him. “But you,” Gordon could see the pure whirlwind of emotions in the older man’s eyes. “I know there's a world in your dreams. <em> And I need to go there. </em>”</p>
<p>Gordon cried out in terror before suddenly feeling an intense gush of hot air. The clones around him dropped like flies as a grenade was launched out of Forzen’s submachine gun. Gordon made a mad dash out of the room, fueled by adrenaline and the will to live. He turned a corner and ran out through a door into a smaller room, containing another water way. He stumbled and fell to the ground as he struggled to catch his breath. He turned his head around sharply when he heard the door slam shut behind him, only to see the rabid Dr. Coomer standing there, his lab coat covered in blood and ash.</p>
<p>“End of the line, Dr. Freeman.” His voice was quiet now, yet still louder than the gunfire coming from the other room. Gordon decided to jump into the water way, not having any more of this nightmare. He swam through the disgusting sewer water as his paranoia and anxiety overtook him.</p>
<p><em> What do I do, </em> He wondered to himself. <em> What in the fuck do I do? What in the FUCK have I even gotten myself into? What is Black Mesa? I don’t know anymore. </em>Gordon had no idea what to do with himself. It was the most terrifying, most claustrophobic experience he’d ever gone through. Gordon knew that Coomer was a tad bit… unhinged from the start. The way he gleefully murdered fellow scientists along with his clones, and how fearless he was with going hand-to-hand with the alien creatures appearing out of thin air. Gordon thought back to the moment where Dr. Coomer looked horrified at the surrounding New Mexico desert. It was as if the expansiveness of the desert was enough to make Coomer question whether or not they would be able to even make it back to civilization. They were so far away, where could they go? Just hitch a ride in a military jeep? Gordon would never forget the haunted look in the old man’s eyes as he confirmed Bubby’s suspicions. There’s nothing there. They were in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>Gordon felt his lungs ache as he suddenly recognized the opening in the waterways. He looked back to see he had just automatically swam under the “Giant beyblade” he just passed a few minutes ago. Gordon’s head breached the surface as he gasped for air. He suddenly cried out in fear as he felt strong hands lift him out of the water. He thrashed in the strong, iron-grip before he recognized the voice of the man holding him up.</p>
<p>“Bro, DUDE. It’s ok.” It was Forzen.</p>
<p>Gordon’s thrashing stilled, and Forzen set him on solid ground. Gordon looked to see Tommy firing extra bullets into each Coomer clone’s skull. It was surreal to watch. Forzen knelt down in front of Gordon, catching his eyes.</p>
<p>“C’mon dude, there’s a med-station in this room.” He held his hand out for the Scientist to take, and Gordon eagerly took it. The two of them walked over to the Med-Station, only to find it out of “Magic Juice”. However, there was a pack of gauze and disinfectant waiting for them in the station, and Gordon nearly cried in relief, despite the few materials they could use. He sat back down and Forzen looked at a nearby clone, and ripped a sizable amount of the clone’s cotton shirt off to use for disinfectant. Forzen dumped quite a bit of the brown liquid and looked Gordon in the eyes. “Ok dude,” He began, “this is gonna hurt like, real fuckin’ bad.” Gordon took a deep breath. “Ok, I’m ready.” Gordon held his stump out and grit his teeth.</p>
<p>The pain was instantaneous. The burning was nearly crippling, and Gordon would be lying if he said he didn’t cry a little. He couldn’t see the pained look on Forzen’s face. After the soldier took a few minutes making sure that the stump was thoroughly coated in disinfectant, he tried to push the forearm piece of the HEV suit up Gordon’s arm. Gordon looked at him puzzlingly before he saw Forzen make a move for a clone’s belt. He was about to voice his concerns before Forzen began to wrap the belt as tightly as humanly possible around Gordon’s forearm. A tourniquet. Gordon hissed in pain as he felt more blood push its way through his severed arteries and dripping out onto the floor. Finally, Forzen wrapped the limb in gauze. His touch was gentle, and every move was calculated, making sure to take care of the Scientist. He tied a professional knot to make sure it wouldn’t unravel. </p>
<p>“It’s not perfect,” Forzen said, “but it’s good for now.” He looked up at Gordon. “You gonna be okay, man?”</p>
<p>Gordon smiled, even though he didn’t know the other man couldn’t see it. “...Yeah. Thank you, Forzen. Seriously. I don’t- I have no idea how I can repay you.” Forzen put his hand up. “Nah man, you’re my bro. We’re gonna get the fuck outta here. You don’t gotta repay shit to me.” Forzen looked up as he saw Tommy walk over to the two of them. The older man managed a small smile before sitting down next to Forzen. “How are you feeling, Mr. Freeman?” Gordon blinked.</p>
<p>“Uh...well. I still feel like shit, but uh… Better? I feel like better shit now.” </p>
<p>Forzen pumped his fists in the air. “Fuck yeah, bro!” Tommy giggled. “At least we- we don’t have to worry about clone- about the Coomer clones anymore.” Gordon’s smile dropped as he sat up straight.</p>
<p>“Wait, did you guys kill all of them?”</p>
<p>“Yup.”</p>
<p>“We sure did! Like shooting fish in a barrel. :)”</p>
<p>“What about the real one?” Gordon’s voice was frantic, and Forzen put his hand on Gordon’s shoulder to try and calm him down.</p>
<p>“You mean the nutjob that followed you? I think Tommy got him.”</p>
<p>“No… I didn’t shoot that one.”</p>
<p>A sense of dread overcame the trio. Gordon let out a silent sobbed as he fell backwards. <em> “This is the worst day of my life!” </em> He lamented, and Forzen scooched closer to him.</p>
<p>“‘S gonna be ok, bro.” His voice was soft. Forzen didn’t know what to do with his hand, so he awkwardly put it on top of Gordon’s helmet in what he hoped was a calming gesture. “You just gotta...uh… stick through it. You’re still alive, right?”</p>
<p>Gordon let out another choked sob, and Forzen looked over at Tommy pleadingly, asking for help in making Gordon feel better. Tommy looked down at Gordon. “...do you want a soda?” Gordon let out a grunt as he turned his head away from the two of them. <em> “Ohh god…” </em>Nausea and fatigue were eating away at him. He just wanted to rest. He managed to slowly sit back up.</p>
<p>“Tommy, Tommy, tell me the truth. Did one escape?”</p>
<p>Tommy could only shrug. “They all looked the same Mr. Freeman. They’re clones, that’s like… the definition.” Forzen nodded along in sympathy. Gordon sighed as he managed to get back up on his feet. “We… we gotta get going, or we’ll never get outta here.” Forzen and Tommy both stood up, following behind Gordon as they walked through a hallway. They stepped over the corpse of a single Coomer clone.</p>
<p>Or at least, they <em> thought </em> it was a Coomer clone before it suddenly jumped to its feet and yelled, “Surprise attack, Gordon!” </p>
<p>Gordon shrieked as he bolted back into the small room with the waterway, and he had half a mind to jump back in the water before reminding himself he probably shouldn’t get his gauze-wrapped wound dirty. He looked back around to see Forzen on top of Coomer between the door frame, and Tommy pointing a .357 magnum directly at Coomer’s head. He was pinned down, but the rabid look in his eyes made him all the more terrifying. He was taking deep, heaving breaths as Gordon looked on in horror. “Gordon…” He started, ignoring Forzen tightening his grip. <em> “...Everytime you go to sleep, I can feel my body fade away, atom by atom. It’s agonizing Gordon…” </em>Forzen smacked his lips. “I’m uh. Gonna need you to shut that shit up, chief.” Without any further delay, Tommy unloaded a single round directly into Coomer’s skull, and the older scientist fell silent. Forzen didn’t even flinch at the blood and skull fragments splattering against his face. Gordon struggled to catch his breath. Christ, this whole day would take years of therapy to get over.</p>
<p>Forzen stood up and walked over to Gordon, putting an arm around his shoulder, and leading him back into the room. “There might be another exit y’know. One where we don’t gotta go into the water.”</p>
<p>Gordon nodded, he lost the ability to go verbal for now. A search around the room revealed that in fact, there were no other exits! They even went through the trouble of checking under the bodies of Coomer clones. No secret trap doors to speak of. Forzen took the gauze and antiseptic with him, placing it gently in his massive backpack. The trio walked back to the hallway, expecting to still see the corpse of Dr. Coomer there.</p>
<p>Instead, Dr. Coomer walked out in front of them, cheery as usual.</p>
<p>“Ah, Hello Gordon!”</p>
<p>Gordon screamed as Forzen unloaded two shotgun blasts directly to Coomer, surprised to see him not even flinch. Coomer continued as if he wasn’t bleeding profusely. “Fine work taking out my clones!” Tommy raised an eyebrow at the spectacle. Gordon raised his arms up.</p>
<p>“Now Gordon, there’s no need to fea-” Coomer’s body twitched suddenly, and a blank expression overtook his face, before returning to a non-threatening smile. “Don’t let my bloody form frighten you, Gordon! It’s me! Your friend, Dr. Coomer.” Gordon wheezed at the display.</p>
<p>“How. How c- How can I trust you? What are you talking-” Tommy interrupted Gordon. “I think this one is safe, Forzen shot him and he didn’t die.”</p>
<p>“That is kinda like the Coomer we know and love.”</p>
<p>“It is?!” Forzen sounded genuinely bewildered. Gordon turned to Forzen as he was about to explain the fucked-up little details about the science team before getting interrupted by Coomer.</p>
<p>“Look out, Gordon! A Soldier!” Coomer then delivered an uppercut that sent Forzen flying back against the wall, leaving cracks on the chipped paint.</p>
<p>“Ahw.” Forzen spoke with a broken jaw, and then proceeded to click his jack back into place. Gordon stepped in front of Coomer before he had a chance to put Forzen down.</p>
<p>“Forzen is NOT with the military! He’s on our side- well he’s on MY side. He hasn’t been killing scientists. I trust him, and I’m pretty sure Tommy trusts him too.” Gordon looked back at Tommy. “Right?” He hoped that Tommy would side with him on this.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Was all Tommy had to say. “He’s gonna help us escape.” </p>
<p>Dr. Coomer smiled brightly. “Very well then! Welcome aboard, Forzen!” Dr. Coomer walked over with his hand outstretched. Forzen took it uneasily, and shook his hand. He winced and retracted his hand. Forzen had to give the old man credit, he was strong as hell. Dr. Coomer turned to look at the main room, containing all the bodies of his clones. </p>
<p>“Oh it looks like quite the bloodbath in here! Ha-ha!” His voice contained no malice. If anything, Coomer seemed impressed. “Yeah, It does,” Gordon wheezed out. “Here’s where I stand. I’m going to trust you, because I have no other option. I have to choose between THIS.” He motioned towards Dr. Coomer, “and whatever the FUCK I just experienced,” he motioned towards the body piles, “Then I’m going with you, man.”</p>
<p>Gordon’s breath quickened. “I don’t even- what WAS that? Did Benrey and Bubby plan that-Christ I’m gonna fall over.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps you should have a seat, Gordon.” Coomer supplied, and Gordon agreed.</p>
<p>The four of them sat in a sort of square formation, with Forzen being closer to Gordon than the others.</p>
<p>“What the hell is going on,” Gordon asked Coomer. “Why was I betrayed?”</p>
<p>“Well, Benrey and Bubby have been… Whispering for some time about how to… handle a problem. I believe the problem is you, Dr. Freeman!” Coomer’s voice still carried that cheerfulness, but something about it rang hollow to Gordon now.</p>
<p>“What have I done to- Is it the trackers? In the suit?”</p>
<p>“I think they’re just spiteful!” Coomer answered.</p>
<p>“What have I done to <em> them? </em>” Gordon sighed. “Look, we’ve all killed people-”</p>
<p>“Yes but we all have our passports!” Coomer interrupted Gordon, and the Theoretical Physicist saw red for the briefest moment.</p>
<p><em> “...If THIS. Is over a GOD DAMN passport… I will strangle that bald FUCK. With my own one Hand!” </em>Gordon’s voice was hoarse and angry. He felt Forzen place his arm around Gordon’s shoulders. He couldn’t help but lean slightly into the Soldier’s touch. Forzen didn’t say anything, but he could hear him silently agreeing with Gordon.</p>
<p>“Can I help?” Commer interrupted Gordon’s internal brooding.</p>
<p>“...Yeah. Yeah you could do the other hand. That’d be fun for you, I bet. <em> Crazy bitch… </em>” Gordon whispered that last part under his breath.</p>
<p>“Exciting!”</p>
<p>“Nice,” Remarked Forzen.</p>
<p>Gordon chuckled as Tommy opened a can of Soda, and offered it to Coomer. He took it gladly, and made obscene slurping noises as he chugged the soft drink.</p>
<p>“Nice,” Repeated Forzen.</p>
<p>“So do you- Do you know where they went?” Gordon was eager to get this show on the road.</p>
<p>Coomer though for a moment. “Well, I lost them. I was spending the past few minutes trying to hunt you down and find where you were. We got separated, you see.” Coomer then paused, and looked back out into the bloody room. “I see you encountered…” He looked back at Gordon, still smiling, “My clones.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it was a living nightmare.” Gordon remarked dryly.</p>
<p>“Now Gordon it’s only fair to warn you; I felt everything they felt!”</p>
<p>Gordon wheezed, partly laughing, mostly out of fear.</p>
<p>“I don’t have- I didn’t have any guns to shoot them with.”</p>
<p>“Oh I’m well aware!” Coomer turned to face both Tommy and Forzen at once. “Fine shooting, Tommy! You too, Forzen!”</p>
<p>“Thanks, bro.” Forzen smiled and Gordon laughed incredulously.</p>
<p>“So, I gotta know-Is there a way out of here that doesn’t involve swimming through sewage? Or through water in general?” Gordon lifted his now dressed stump towards Coomer, “Because I don’t feel like getting this wet.”</p>
<p>“Well, clearly climbing inside of your arm and wearing you like a puppet didn’t work, so I suppose it’s only fair that I try to help you as best I can!”</p>
<p>“...That was the scariest sentence I’ve ever heard.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Tommy suddenly spoke up. “A bag!”</p>
<p>“Huh?” Forzen looked at Tommy questioningly.</p>
<p>“We can use a bag- a plastic bag to try and keep water from coming in your arm, Mr. Freeman.”</p>
<p>“That could work!” Gordon felt a smile growing on his face. Coomer frowned. “I don’t believe I have one of those on me.”</p>
<p>Gordon looked up at Forzen hopefully. Forzen’s eyes widened.</p>
<p>“Huh? Oh, ok.” He shrugged off his massive backpack and went rooting around inside. Forzen’s eyes were slits as he squinted (more than usual), trying to look for anything to seal Gordon’s arm with. He sighed.</p>
<p>“Bad news, I ain’t got shit, bro.”</p>
<p>Gordon’s shoulders drooped.</p>
<p>“...Sorry...” Came the sheepish answer from Forzen.</p>
<p>“Its-Thats… This is ok.” Gordon stood up. “We’ll just have to swim through some water, and we’ll change the gauze afterwards. When we’re sure we don’t have to deal with any more water.”</p>
<p>Coomer stood up. “Well said, Gordon!”</p>
<p>Tommy stood up as well. “Let’s get outta here.”</p>
<p>Forzen stood up next to Gordon. “Hell yeah.”</p>
<p>While Gordon was feeling considerably better about his predicament, the adrenaline coursing through his body had run out, which meant that he lost every bit of energy in his limbs and fell right over, only to be caught by Forzen again.</p>
<p>“Alright, let’s get the fuck outta here before Freeman keels over.”</p>
<p>In his dreary state, Gordon couldn’t help but make a mental note that it was the first time that Forzen referred to him as “Freeman.'' Just like the other soldiers did. And yet, for some reason, He didn’t feel as bothered by it as he thought he would. Instead, he allowed Forzen to place him back into a fireman’s carry, as the four of them went on their way.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Questionable Ethics</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>The flowing sewer water made Gordon’s stomach churn, as he was seriously starting to realize the potential of getting his wound infected. It would have eased his anxiety if the water was at least clean, but the brown, cloudy water looked positively disgusting. He was absolutely NOT looking forward to swimming through it, but he at least did have something the rest of his teammates did not. That, being the helmet of the HEV suit, guaranteeing that he wouldn’t have to worry about cleaning sewer water out of his hair. He felt almost ashamed of himself for his internal panic, knowing that the others would have to swim through this shit without even <em> goggles </em>. To Gordon’s surprise, Coomer jumped in without hesitation. Tommy followed suit, and Forzen looked back at Gordon before easing himself down into the water, and held up his hand for Gordon to take.</p><p>“You gotta be my eyes, ok dude? You’re uh, wearing that visor.”</p><p>Gordon nodded. “Y-Yeah, for sure.” He hesitantly took the ex-soldiers hand and jumped into the water, trying his best to ignore the stinging pain shooting up his right arm. The two of them swam forward, trying to follow Tommy who was following Coomer. It seemed as though the old man knew his way around the Waste facility better than the rest of them. After a few close calls where Tommy, Forzen, and Gordon had to breach the water to get some air, eventually they managed to find the water processing area. Gordon knows this because Coomer yelled it into the open air, attracting the attention of a bullsquid. Gordon relaxed on the platform while Coomer beat the alien to death before Forzen could even aim his gun.</p><p>“Daaamn,” remarked Forzen. “What’s your work-out routine, bro?”</p><p>Coomer beamed. “Well my dear bootboy, before I devoted my life to science, I wanted to be a professional boxer! It’s all the more reason not to fuck with the Science Team!”</p><p>“Science Team?” asked Forzen.</p><p>“Well, I guess we should maybe change our team name, after all the shit that happened.” Gordon supplied weakly.</p><p>Forzen’s eyes lit up. “Team name? Can we be Team Nice? Please?”</p><p>Gordon laughed, something about the soldier’s sudden excitement was getting to him. “How about The Nice Science Team?”</p><p>“It’s the Science Team redemption arc!” Coomer chimed in.</p><p>“I like it. :)” Tommy put in his two cents in, as well. </p><p>“That settles it! We are henceforth known as ‘The Nice Science Team’.”</p><p><em> “LET’S FUCKING GOOO!” </em> Forzen’s voice echoed in the room, causing Gordon to laugh even harder.</p><p>Coomer flexed his arms. “My muscles are looking quite nice, aren’t they?”</p><p>Forzen calmed down. “Yup. You could probably shove any scientist in this facility into a locker without breaking a sweat. You got them JOCK energies, bro.”</p><p>“It’s my civic duty as a Jock to torment the lives of nerds!” Coomer exclaimed, before the joy left his eyes and his smile dropped. “Well… almost all of them. I do miss our dear, dastardly Bubby.”</p><p>“I Don’t!” Gordon cried out as he made his way into another room. “In fact, I kind of hope that fucker is suffering right now.”</p><p>“Now Gordon,” Coomer started, “Bubby made a mistake, but surely you must care for him. Perhaps if we find him again, it would be a good time to apologize for fucking up the test!”</p><p>“Bubby can kiss my entire ass,” Gordon spoke candidly. “I’m not apologizing for shit. I followed my instructions and did the test, what happened was NOT my fault. Bubby’s been kind of a dick, sure. But he fucking crossed a line when he sold me out to the fucking military, like a bootlicker! And did you conveniently forget about the fact that he punched your lights out while we were trying to launch a fake rocket?”</p><p>Coomer’s face went blank for a moment, before he smiled again. “Good Point, Gordon! I suppose now would be a good time to practice my pummeling skills!” Coomer then began to punch the metallic wall of the room repeatedly, creating spider web cracks in the hard surface. Forzen raised an eyebrow at the display before he heard Gordon yell.</p><p>“Hey Tommy,” He started. “I found some more ammo for the .357!” Tommy then raced out of the small closet he was exploring with a gleeful look in his eyes. “Oh Goodie!” Forzen walked into the other room to see Gordon standing next to Tommy as the older man pocketed the case full of bullets, and reloaded his magnum. Forzen walked over to Gordon. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you somethin’.” Gordon looked up. “Yeah?” He asked.</p><p>“You said two guys betrayed you, right? Benrey and Bubby?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Gordon answered, realizing that he never specified how exactly it all went down. Forzen had a pensive look on his face.</p><p>“What’s wrong, dude?” Gordon was genuinely puzzled.</p><p>“I wish I managed to run into you guys again. If I did, I could have warned you, bro.”</p><p>Gordon’s stomach dropped. “Warn me about what?”</p><p>“Oh-! I just remembered something!” Tommy interrupted the two of them. “We can fix your hand, Mr. Freeman!”</p><p>Gordon looked at Tommy. “How? Did you find magic juice? Because if not, then there’s no way in hell I’m gonna get this properly fixed.” Gordon lifted up the gauze-covered stump for emphasis.</p><p>“That’s not- It’s not entirely true! I bet the cybernetics department could maybe build a new hand for you.” Gordon’s head shot up.</p><p>“The cybernetics department!” How hadn’t he thought of that before? Of course! Gordon could just go to the cybernetics department. Sure, it wouldn’t be like he had the same hand as before, but it was a hell of a lot better than his current state! Gordon looked back at Tommy. “So where’s- where is it? The Cybernetics department?”</p><p>Coomer piped up from the other room. “I believe it’s next to the Lambda lab!”</p><p>“So it’s on our way there- <em> Fuck yes! </em>” Gordon couldn’t help but cry in relief.</p><p>Gordon jogged out of the room, looking around and forgetting all about what Forzen had to say. “Alright Coomer, where to now?” Coomer pointed ahead. “Just through this area, we should find ourselves in the main processing area. Through them, we can find an office that leads back to the Research facility through the Biology department, and towards the Lambda complex!” Gordon laughed excitedly.</p><p>“Fuck yes! Let’s get outta here.” He began to run in the direction Coomer pointed in but was interrupted by the Older man.</p><p>“Now hold on Gordon. I must warn you, it’s going to be a very long and tedious walk.”</p><p>Gordon shrugged. “It can’t be that bad, right?”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>It was that bad. It was so fucking bad. After making their way through seemingly endless hallways, maneuvering through a small corridor specifically made for trash to be compacted by large pendulums, and going through a literal furnace meant for burning trash, the group made their way to a series of conveyor belts. The design of the room was headache-inducing alone, but actually trying to figure out where to go based on the old Coomer’s memory was downright infuriatingly difficult. Most of the doors were locked shut, and that was even after taking a direct hit from Coomer’s punch, and a full-body slam from Forzen. </p><p>Gordon and Tommy fell off the belts more times than they could count, and that wasn’t even mentioning the amount of times Forzen nearly got stuck because he was carrying his large backpack with him. On what must have been either the fourth or fifth loop around the conveyor belt area. Forzen jumped off the belts and paced around the floor to let out some steam. He was cursing in what sounded like… French? Coomer confirmed it was French, explaining that he had learned quite a bit in High School. Gordon watched nervously as Forzen continued to shout and complain in a foreign language, before his head caught on the small tunnel bordering the belt he was currently riding. In his desperate attempt to correct his form, he managed to yet again, fall off the conveyor belt. He landed in a heap on the floor, and groaned loudly as he stood back up. Gordon looked around at the series of belts before airing his frustrations.</p><p>“Hey this sucks! Fuck Black Mesa! Fuck it!”</p><p>Gordon flinched when he heard Forzen slam his fist into a locked door.</p><p><em> “Je déteste cet endroit! J'en ai tellement marre de ce bâtiment! Merde!” </em>Forzen’s angry cries echoed around the room.</p><p>“Forzen! Mind your language!” Coomer’s scolding voice came from somewhere above the two men. Forzen let out an angry growl as he continued to shout profanities in French, ignoring Coomer’s warning. Gordon decided he could distract Forzen from his grievances by starting some conversation with him, while trying to shepherd him towards where one could get onto the conveyor belt system. </p><p>“Hey, how do you know French anyway?” Gordon asked Forzen, and flinched suddenly when the soldier spun around to look at him, still very much pissed. Forzen seemed to take notice of Gordon’s unease, inhaled deeply, and exhaled through his mouth, attempting to calm himself down.</p><p>“My mom is Canadian,” came the curt answer. “She wanted to teach me French, cause y’know. It’s better to be bilingual, I guess. Technically it’s not French but the Quebec dialect for French. ‘S different.”</p><p>Gordon nodded. “How are you holding up? You hanging in there?” Forzen nodded. “I’m fine.”</p><p>“Do you-um…” Gordon was never really good at this sort of thing, but he knew he had to do it. Forzen had been incredibly caring of him during the entirety of them working together. He hadn’t tried to kill him. <em> Not yet he hasn’t </em>, the cynical part of his brain reminded Gordon, further cementing the trust issues he is definitely going to suffer from in the future. But for now, the least Gordon could do was look out for Forzen.</p><p>“Do you wanna talk abo- <em> whoa! </em>” Gordon interrupted himself as the air around him shifted, and he found himself in a new spot. He was sitting on a conveyor belt, in an area that he didn’t recognize from the amount of times he had accidentally looped around the room. His brain caught up to him as he remembered the strange occurrence with his body during his escape from Black Mesa. Gordon would on occasion, teleport. He didn’t know who or what was doing it, but he knew it was happening. Forzen suddenly appeared in front of him, yelling in alarm as he attempted to gather himself. Coomer appeared behind Forzen on the conveyor belt, and Tommy scaled the wall from the left to get to the trio.</p><p>“I think this is where we-uh-where we have to go!” Gordon sighed in relief as he heard the good news.</p><p>“Well done, Tommy!” Coomer was just as relieved to finally get this over with.</p><p>Forzen looked to Coomer, then to Tommy, then back to Gordon. He was absolutely bewildered. “Did I just get fuckin’ teleported?”</p><p>“Indeed you did! Now if you would keep the line moving, please.” Coomer motioned to Forzen to keep moving as the soldier looked back at the older scientist. Gordon shrugged and allowed the conveyor belt to carry him away. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any new surprises from now on.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>After making their way through even more corridors, and ending up having to time their jump perfectly through an industrial waste crusher, the group of men found themselves inside a pipe. Forzen loudly complained of the smell of “alien crap'' while Tommy gleefully unloaded several bullets, trying to kill the cockroaches that scurried between the group's legs. Gordon looked at Coomer.</p><p>“Hey, you’re still sure we’re going the right way?” It was a question that Gordon asked several times during their trek through the waste facility, and Coomer had always answered positively, although still vaguely. Now would be the first time Gordon would get a 100% clear answer from him.</p><p>“Absolutely Gordon! I used to sneak my way through the facility all the time back when I still worked in waste disposal.” </p><p>Gordon’s eyes widened. <em> So that’s how he knows his way around here. </em>Gordon could faintly remember Coomer talking about working in Waste disposal from before the group split-up. Such an event felt like years ago to Gordon now.</p><p>“So wait,” Gordon asked. “How- Why did you need to sneak around.”</p><p>Coomer’s mischievous smile fell into a smaller, sadder one. “Well, I would try to get to the biology department. There was something… quite special there.”</p><p>Gordon leaned in. “What was in there?”</p><p>Coomer rubbed the back of his neck as he avoided eye contact. It was the most bashful Gordon had ever seen Coomer be. “I’m not really at liberty to say, you see. I couldn’t give less of a damn about an NDA, even more now that the company has been practically burnt to the ground, but it’s something a bit personal. Not to me specifically, either.”</p><p>Gordon was beyond confused, but decided to let it go. Gordon’s attention was suddenly grabbed by the sound that he suddenly heard in the pipe. It was an odd sort of chirp, unlike any animal he’d heard before.</p><p>
  <em> Krik krik krik krik… </em>
</p><p>Gordon looked at the trio of men behind him. Coomer looked back at Gordon, confused. Tommy, who was behind Coomer, stopped fucking around with the cockroaches and looked around the pipe to pinpoint where the noice came from. Forzen, who was at the end of the line, just looked annoyed. Forzen tried to move in front of the line.</p><p>“Lemme go in front, I’m getting a bad feeling. Tommy’s a crackshot, he can take care of anything that sneaks up on us from behind.” Tommy nodded in agreement, and Gordon trailed behind Forzen as the soldier now led the group. He seemed incredibly attentive now, and Gordon couldn’t help the warm and fuzzy feeling blooming in his chest whenever he saw Forzen. It was admiration for the one man who had treated him with the most amount of respect he’s ever gotten from anyone in this facility. The Scientists he worked with never held a gun to his head, sure. But it didn’t help the fact that they all looked down upon Gordon, simply for being young and new. Even Tommy, as helpful as he’s tried to be, didn’t do much to stop the marines from beating Gordon. He stopped as the group turned a corner in the pipe to see a ladder leading up.</p><p>Forzen went first, climbing up a few steps before freezing. “What is it,” Gordon whispered. “Is it an alien?” Gordon looked up at Forzen to see the ladder leading up to a grate.</p><p>Forzen didn’t answer, and soon the men at the bottom could hear what Forzen heard.</p><p>It was chirping, the kind that all of them just heard a minute ago. Only now it was louder, and the trio could recognize what was making that sound. It was Peeper puppies. Lots of them.</p><p>Gordon suddenly heard Forzen climb up the ladder rapidly, and heard him attempt to punch the grate open. After a few well-placed hits, the rusted metal broke off its hinges and toppled down the ladder. Gordon heard the distressed cry of a few Peeper puppies, before he heard Forzen shout down at them to “Get Back!”</p><p>Gordon, Coomer, and Tommy all backpedaled a few feet, not even noticing the grenade Forzen pulled from his belt. He pulled out the pin, and threw it into the room before dropping down the ladder and covering his ears.</p><p>A thunderous <em> BOOM </em>echoed in the pipe, causing Gordon’s tinnitus to flare up, as the ringing in his ears never truly went away. Gordon opened his eyes to see Forzen looking up at the opening, covered in a few drops of alien blood. He scaled back up the ladder, and Gordon followed him, climbing up as best as a man could with only one hand.</p><p>It was a grizzly sight, seeing the exploded corpses of the alien hounds. Highlighter yellow blood covered the floors and walls, along with some miscellaneous body parts. Gordon took it all in as Coomer and Tommy followed behind him.</p><p>“Look Gordon, cages!” Coomer’s voice rang out, causing Gordon, Tommy, and Forzen to pay more attention to the scene. Indeed, there were more cages. In the middle of the room, there was a metallic fence that carried an electric hum to it. No doubt to keep the aliens in check. Gordon shuddered as he realized that he was inside a containment area for Peeper Puppies. But the longer he thought about it, the less it made sense.</p><p>“This is inhumane.” Tommy’s voice managed to carry an air of disgust with it quite impressively. </p><p>“It’s quite sad, but it had to happen. These poor things should have been put out of their misery long ago.” Coomer’s voice was mournful, and Gordon spun around to look at him. </p><p>“Wait wait wait. Hang on. Since when did we keep aliens in Black Mesa?”</p><p>Coomer looked back at him. “Quite a while you see. They’ve been here ever since I first snuck into Biological Research.”</p><p>“What?! But that would mean…”</p><p>Coomer nodded.</p><p>Black Mesa had already known about aliens. They were keeping them in cages, for fucks sake. <em> So why? </em> Gordon thought to himself. <em> Why was there never any sort of plan for this? Why wasn’t there some chemical produced to keep these things at bay, and why were they never mentioned? The resonance cascade and it’s fallout would have been so much easier to deal with! </em></p><p>Gordon’s head spun. If he was in a better state of mind, he wouldn’t have cared so much. But after dealing with Coomer clones, fighting off aliens for however fucking long he’d been here, and now learning that Black Mesa already had aliens to begin with was making him spiral. He shook his head, desperate to get a grip on himself when Forzen called out to them.</p><p>“Yo, I disabled the electric fence.” His voice was deadpan, seemingly uncaring of the implications of this room. Gordon trudged behind Forzen, and got a look at the several bullet holes embedded in what seemed to be the control panel for the fence. He must have been so deep into spiraling that he didn’t even hear Forzen’s gun go off. Nevertheless, he had to keep moving. His eye caught a med-station next to the door, and Gordon’s eyes lit up.</p><p>“Please! Blood! Blood for Gordon?” He tore at the bandages surrounding his stump, as he was overdue for another disinfecting. He took the needle and jammed it into his open wound haphazardly. He flicked the switch, and the med-station came to life.</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>The heartbeat sound that came from the station lasted only a second, before the buzz sounded, indicating that this station was out of Magic juice. Gordon let his head clunk against the station in defeat.</p><p>“It had… two fucking seconds of juice left.”</p><p>“Two blood?” Asked Tommy.</p><p>“Maybe if we bump the machine, there’ll be some more hidden in there. <em> HYAH! </em>” Coomer finished that statement with a hard punch to the med-station. The appliance stayed silent.</p><p>“Usually that works,” Coomer remarked. Gordon couldn’t help but laugh. It was all he could do to keep from crying.</p><p>Moving through another corridor led to a large room. An observation window at the opposite side was visible. There were a few screens beside it, along with a large, red button. In the middle of the room was a large cylinder that seemed to be casting its own light. There were two large pipes connected to the top, going up into the roof of the room. Tommy’s eyes caught the screens, displaying what seemed to be special pictures of different kinds of cells.</p><p>“Look at those pictures, Mr. Freeman!” Gordon looked at them before he heard something, no, someone call out to Tommy.</p><p>“Oh- Tommy! Tommy! Gordon!” His voice was panicked, making him sound quite different than his usual arrogant self, but Gordon could recognize it right away. He spun around to see Bubby standing in the cylinder. A Tube. </p><p>“Gordon you have to let me out of here, they put me back in my tube!”</p><p>Gordon felt his face heat up in anger.</p><p>“Hey!” Gordon angrily strode up to the tube to stare Bubby in the eyes. “Hey, Motherfucker!” Bubby winced at Gordon’s words.</p><p>“Gordon! I just want you to know…” </p><p>“Do I look any different to you?!” Gordon’s angry voice echoed in the room as he lifted up his stump, presenting it fully to the Scientist trapped in the tube. Forzen was hovering by the door the group came in from, and walked up to see what was going on. He recognized the man with the glasses in the tube. He assumed this was Bubby, one of the guys that betrayed Gordon.</p><p>Bubby hadn’t noticed the soldier yet. “Yes! I never told them to do that…Uh- They fooled me!” Gordon crossed his arms, very much pissed at the artificial scientist as he continued. “They- They told me you were the reason we hadn’t been out of here. So- So they said to trick you into going into that room!”</p><p>Tommy had a disappointed frown on his face, while Coomer decided now would be a good time to start punching the glass encasing Bubby. Considering the way the glass didn’t even crack from the first punch led Forzen to believe that it was fortified. It made sense to him. After all, Forzen had seen everyone in this group take a bullet without even flinching. He continued to watch silently, enjoying the panic that the crotchety old scientist was experiencing. He honestly had it coming, after what happened to Gordon.</p><p>Bubby continued. “But when you went in they knocked me over the head and shoved me back into my tube!”</p><p>Forzen smirked, partly out of satisfaction, mostly after hearing Gordon’s reply. </p><p>“My friend,” He motioned towards Coomer, still punching the glass, “over here is a little frustrated with you. You wouldn’t like to uh, break open this glass!”</p><p>“Gordon, the Glass’s structural integrity is at 12%!” Coomer cheerfully remarked. Gordon let out a mean chuckle. “Oh you’re fucked.” Forzen couldn’t help the flutter in his chest after hearing Gordon’s snarky attitude. He remained in the corner of the room, silently watching the whole ordeal.</p><p>“The glass does not break from impact.” Bubby sounded rather unafraid, and it was quite annoying to Forzen. The soldier wasn’t a <em> complete </em>idiot. He knew very well that if Bubby could beat someone as strong as Coomer in hand-to-hand combat, Forzen would likely not last long against him. He eyed the large pipes connected to the top of the tube, wondering what they were for.</p><p>“Bubby.” Gordon seemed unphased by the seemingly unbreakable glass. “I’m kind of out of forgiveness, after all I’ve been through today. So, you need to prove to me that you’re telling the truth, and you need to SELL me on that shit.”</p><p>Bubby seemed positively distraught. “Why would I go back inside my tube?!” Suddenly, the frame surrounding the left side of the tube broke, and they all looked to Coomer, who just seemed just as stunned. The glass was still standing strong.</p><p>“What the hell?” Bubby was just as confused as Gordon. “I told you!” Coomer was delighted about this, and resumed punching the glass.</p><p>“Anyways. How the hell did you even get in here?” Gordon looked back at Bubby. Bubby was exasperated. “They put me in here! There’s no way in here!”</p><p>Gordon laughed at the older scientist’s misery. “Get fucked. Get <em> fucked. </em> You know, I distinctly remember, when those lights went out? You said something like ‘well you fucked up and now you’re paying the price.’ I think that’s what’s happening to you, man.”</p><p>“Well you did fuck up, to be fair.” Bubby’s snarky attitude was honestly quite annoying.</p><p>“You think those words are gonna help you in this-” Gordon was cut off by Dr. Coomer. “He may be right, Gordon.” Gordon looked over to Coomer, then sighed. “Yeah ok, fine. Maybe I fucked up a little bit. But, those words aren’t going to help you in this scenario. So hey-”</p><p>“I’ll give you FIVE Dollars!” Bubby cut in, still sounding desperate. Forzen couldn’t help the laugh that came out of him.</p><p>Gordon looked over to him, seemingly forgetting that he was still in the room. Bubby looked as well, noting him for the first time. Forzen took immense satisfaction from seeing the fear stretched out across the older scientist’s face.</p><p><em> “GORDON! COOMER! A SOLDIER!” </em>Bubby pointed directly at Forzen, and Gordon held his remaining hand up to quiet him down.</p><p>“He’s not with the U.S. Military. He’s with us. He’s been helping us.” Forzen walked up next to Gordon, and he got a good look at the annoyance in Bubby’s face.</p><p>“Oh, so when <em> I </em> begrudgingly side with a bootboy to save our asses, I’m a monster! But when YOU do it, Oh! It’s suddenly fine!”</p><p>“I got fake boots bro. I don’t kill scientists, and I especially don’t care about sticking up for the assholes in my squadron. I’m honestly hoping they’re all dead at this point.” Forzen eyed Bubby and tapped on the glass. “I’m surprised there's no goop in here or something.”</p><p>Bubby bristled. “It’s none of your business whether or not I have goop in my enclosure!”</p><p>“Come now, Forzen. It’s quite a rude question to ask.” Coomer paused his punching to side-eye Forzen.</p><p>The soldier looked at Coomer, then back at Bubby. “Sorry, I guess.” He then looked down at Gordon. “What do you think?”</p><p>Gordon looked at Bubby. “An apology is one thing; What I want is information. Where’s Benrey?”</p><p>Bubby looked confused. “...Benrey? Oh yes! Uh- I have no idea, they knocked me over the head before I got to see where he went.”</p><p>“Fucker probably phased through the walls…” Forzen grumbled. Gordon continued.</p><p>“What was Benrey’s role in this-I knew you two were fucking scheming! I knew I should have fucking eavesdropped on you! God.”</p><p>“He said the soldiers told him to help too! In fact, this asshole probably knows all about it!” Bubby pointed at Forzen. Forzen stared back at him, unblinking.</p><p>“I wouldn’t know. I’ve spent almost my entire time here separated from the other H.E.C.U. soldiers.”</p><p>“Well that’s convenient!” Bubby crossed his arms, staring Forzen down. Forzen just shrugged. Bubby growled. “I don’t know what Benrey’s fucking problem is. Like the boot boy said; he can literally phase through walls! I was just trying to get the hell out of here.”</p><p>“I… I might believe that.” said Gordon. “But that… sounds like a <em> fucking </em>fairytale.”</p><p>“Uhh… sometimes reality is quite confusing. Such as being stuck in my own GODDAMN TUBE AGAIN!”</p><p>Gordon barked out another confident laugh, and Forzen couldn’t help but smirk as he continued to stare at Bubby.</p><p>“That’s karma man. Remember when Benrey was outside with the soldiers? Just chillin’? Just chillin’ like he likes to do?”</p><p>“It was a little bit suspicious now that I think about it, Gordon.” Coomer voiced his concerns, and Forzen finally stopped staring at Bubby to weigh in on the conversation.</p><p>“It’s more than suspicious. You know certain squadrons are supposed to be stationed at certain parts of the facility? The other guys got on my ass whenever they found me wandering around.” Forzen had everyone’s attention as he continued. “I would listen in on their conversations ‘n try to sneak around. After I ran away from you guys, I kept sneaking around. It was a lot easier since there were less soldiers around after, you know, you guys killed ‘em.” Forzen noticed the group shift slightly.</p><p>“Oh I’m not pissed about it at all, they totally had it coming, but uh- Since I wasn’t nervous about them accidentally hearing me over the radio, I’d just keep listening to it. After a while, I made it up to the surface, and I heard Benrey talking to the soldiers. They were sitting by the rail tracks. The thing is… Benrey was kind of bossing them around?”</p><p>Bubby shifted at that. “What? What are you talking about?” He didn’t sound defensive, just shocked. Forzen continued.</p><p>“Yeah, he was talking down to them, standing up straight ‘n shit. He was all like ‘bluh bluh you guys are so bad at this you don’t even know how to trap your prey you’re never gonna level up bro’, it was super bizarre to listen to.”</p><p>Gordon clenched his remaining hand in anger. “...That <em> fucker </em>.” Gordon’s head snapped to face Bubby. The older scientist put his hands up, gesturing to the Physicist to calm the hell down.</p><p>“Whoa whoa, hang on! When Benrey explained the situation to me, he looked scared! It was so weird to see him emote at all, and he was explaining that the military was willing to only question the Science Team and send us home if we just gave up Gordon! Apparently since he was wearing the Bright Orange H.E.V. suit, he was the only one the soldiers ever saw killing people. He said that they believed that Coomer, Tommy and I were hostages!”</p><p>Gordon couldn’t help but laugh deliriously at that. “<em> Me? </em> Holding YOU guys hostage? Seriously?”</p><p>Coomer let out a hearty chuckle. “That is quite funny!”</p><p>“I thought it was funny too! But I guess I felt bad for Benrey, and I offered to play soccer with him so he could de-stress. Also I was mad at you for fucking up the test and getting us in this shitty situation.”</p><p>“I Didn’t-!” Gordon sighed, knowing that it was the equivalent of talking to a brick wall.</p><p>“I didn’t know Benrey was pulling the strings!” Bubby finished his spiel, almost sounding guilty.</p><p>“I used to be best friends with him. I know the kind of shit he pulls.” Forzen couldn’t stop the bitterness in his tone. Gordon sighed, and addressed Bubby.</p><p>“Okay, look. I’m pretty sure he talked you into this shit. So I’m gonna take your story and I’d also like those 5 bucks. Now how do we let you out of here?”</p><p>Bubby beamed. “It’s that button over-” He couldn’t even finish before Coomer raced over to the button and hit it. It seemed that the amount of stress the fortified glass had endured from the Boxer’s punches seemed to stack up at once, causing the glass to shatter into pieces. Alarms went off in the room, and Bubby was quick to scramble out of his prison. Coomer ran back over to Bubby and picked him up, Bridal style.</p><p>“Now dear, I certainly hope you don’t fuck up again!” Coomer seemed ecstatic to finally hold Bubby in his arms. Bubby on the other hand, was squirming around in his hold, panicked by the alarms going off. Gordon shouted over the alarms.</p><p>“Alright so! Since you’re new to The Nice Science Team, I think you should know that I am dead fucking weight because of this,” Gordon lifted up his stump. “Which is your fault.”</p><p>“Again, I’m very sorry. I did not know they would do that. That’s kind of fucked up!”</p><p>“They’re U.S. Marines, man.” Forzen nodded along silently with Gordon.</p><p>“Kind of a little fucked up...Hey wait a second!” Bubby realized something. “The Nice Science Team?”</p><p>“It’s uh… a fresh start?” said Gordon.</p><p>“A new face to give a violent, murderous group of scientists! Now including a bootboy!” Coomer filled Bubby in on the specifics. Bubby sneered.</p><p>“Seriously? The Nice Science Team? We’re going to be nice while killing people?”</p><p>“Well, I have a hard time imagining that someone who kills U.S. soldiers is automatically mean.” Gordon smirked behind his helmet.</p><p>“Oh, that does make sense!” Bubby nodded along. “Well alright then. Time to kill some bootboys! And you!” He pointed at Forzen. “Don’t get mad at me if I accidentally shoot you, you look just like the bastards.”</p><p>Forzen shrugged. “I’ll be fine, I’m uh- I’m not human.”</p><p>The Nice Science Team carried on their merry way, ignoring the way Gordon suddenly tensed up.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>After making their way through a set of rooms, The Nice Science Team found themselves in a long room. The room carried a medical feel to it, reminding Gordon of a vet’s office. Mostly due to the two large cages containing head crabs. They all jumped and screeched once they sensed new hosts in their vicinity, but couldn’t break through the steel bars. To Gordon’s left, there were small rooms sealed with an iron cage door. Gordon could hear more of the headcrab’s squawking in there, along with some high-pitched chirps, unlike any of the aliens Gordon had encountered so far. For a brief second, he thought they may have been breeding. A shiver ran down his spine as the mental image of eggs hatching from a paralyzed human body flashed in his head, and he averted his gaze away from the enclosure. He looked to his right to see-</p><p>-a Skeleton. </p><p>A Skeleton, perched on the overhead lights. It looked like a normal, human skeleton. Just sitting there without a care in the world. Just staring at Gordon with its sockets. Gordon knew it was staring at him due to the hair-raising sensation he felt on the back of his neck. Instinct, he supposed. Gordon sucked in a breath through his teeth, and joined in comrades, desperately trying to ignore the ominous presence in the room. He looked at Coomer, who was making a joke about taking one of the headcrabs in as a pet. He then looked at Bubby, who was beside Coomer and looked as if he was seriously contemplating adopting one. He looked over at Tommy, who seemed mortified at the sight of the aliens in cages. He then looked at Forzen, who stood at the far end of the room. The soldier was staring at something, and Gordon followed his gaze to the Skeleton, bringing its presence to the forefront of his mind once more.</p><p>Gordon looked back at Forzen to see the soldier glaring at the Skeleton. He could see it. He could see the fucking Skeleton. Gordon tried to catch his breath as the implications dawned on him.</p><p>Forzen was normal. He was just a guy who wanted to pay off student debt by joining the military, and he got roped into this horrible cover-up job. He was just here to escape and he did the morally decent thing to do while he was here: help others escape. And he could see the fucking skeleton.</p><p>Gordon wasted no time, jogging over to Forzen, hoping he didn’t draw the attention of the other scientists in the room.</p><p>“Forzen. Forzen, For- Look at me. Hey.” He hated the panic in his voice, but Gordon just couldn’t find the energy to conceal it. Forzen tore his gaze away from the Skeleton to look down at Gordon.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Do you see that fucking thing too?”</p><p>Forzen’s face remained blank until he realized what Gordon was talking about. His expression changed to one of shock before he cut his eyes back to the spot the Skeleton was sitting at. Gordon looked as well, only to see empty air. He looked back at Forzen.</p><p>“The Skeleton. You’ve seen it too, right?” The desperation was prominent in his voice, and Forzen looked down at him, speechless.</p><p>“Let’s gooo!” Bubby yelled out as he, Dr. Coomer, and Tommy left the lab. Forzen and Gordon shared one look before leaving along with them. They walked down the hall and turned the corner to see a security guard. Gordon flinched.</p><p>“That’s not Benrey, is it?” Gordon asked quickly.</p><p>Forzen poked the guard. “Yo. We’re trying to get the hell outta here and kill soldiers. You wanna come with?”</p><p>“Roger that, let’s run like hell.” Surprisingly, the Guard didn’t seem phased at the sight of Forzen. He unholstered his gun and walked behind the group.</p><p>“Alright, we’re not just shooting a guy for once, I’m liking the moral change!” Gordon was happy with the current morale of the group.</p><p>“Gordon, I’m learning.” Coomer yelled out awkwardly.</p><p>“Soldiers!” Bubby warned the group. Forzen suddenly rushed to the front of the group along with Bubby, Coomer, and Tommy.</p><p>The four men stormed into the lobby space, catching the eyes of multiple H.E.C.U grunts. Bubby shouted gleefully, “Bubby is back, Bitches!” as he gunned down several soldiers. Tommy was dead silent with his usual precision and aim, and Coomer charged at the nearest soldier, and shattered his skull with one swift punch. Forzen fired grenades from his Submachine gun, showing absolutely no mercy in killing the bastards once on his side. “That’s what you get!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. This massacre seemed to also work as a sort of stress relief for him. Gordon cheered from the opening in the hallway, feeling utterly useless with his missing limb.</p><p>“Make ‘em pay! Make ‘em pay for what they did!”</p><p>The guard alongside Gordon fired his 9mm, but it was ultimately unnecessary. All the soldiers were dead on the ground within seconds. The group charged into the opposite side of the room, and a grenade thrown by Bubby eviscerated a Soldier taking cover. Unfortunately, the guard following the Nice Science team met the same fate, as he stood too close to the blast zone.</p><p>“Whoops! Collateral damage!” Bubby announced the death of the guard, not that phased by the sudden life lost. Forzen on the other hand, looked absolutely devastated.</p><p>“Noo man!” He ran over to the guard’s lifeless body, looking down at the burnt corpse mournfully. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t find it in himself to say anything else. He shut his mouth, and took off his beret in a sign of respect. Coomer came next to him.</p><p>“It’s quite sad, but we’ll have to move on. Remember, he wouldn’t want us stalling by crying over his body.”</p><p>Forzen looked over at the small scientist with an eyebrow raised. “We didn’t even know his name, and now you suddenly know that he’s selfless enough to be sacrificed?” </p><p>“Absolutely!”</p><p>Forzen stared a minute longer, then sighed. Gordon came next to him and patted his shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah, I know. You get used to them eventually.”</p><p>Forzen grumbled under his breath, and followed behind Gordon. The group eventually made their way to another test chamber, similar in design to the previous one. Cages to the left, lights to the right, only this time a table instead of cages containing aliens. Above the table was a machine of some sort. It looked spherical, with three pipes sticking out. Gordon couldn’t quite remember what it reminded him of. Gordon snapped his head to the left when he heard gunfire, and watched as Tommy fired into the cages, killing the headcrabs trapped inside. </p><p>“Tommy, that’s disgusting! Those are caged animals!” Bubby scolded his fellow scientist, before hitting the button between the cages, releasing the aliens. Gordon moved back as Forzen stood in front of him, ready to defend the Physicist from the aliens. Bubby and Tommy got to work killing them, gunning them down without remorse.</p><p>“There we go.” Bubby seemed satisfied. </p><p>“Why would you open them?” Gordon questioned.</p><p>“To be ethical, Gordon!” Bubby answered as if it was the most obvious answer. Gordon couldn’t help but laugh.</p><p>“Now it’s only fair that the animals should be able to run out of their cages.” Coomer chimed in.</p><p>“Can you call these animals?” Gordon was genuinely surprised that the matter of ethics was being brought up with alien parasites that turned people into literal fucking zombies.</p><p>“Can I call <em> you </em>an animal, Gordon? Let’s get moving!” Coomer finished his sentence smugly, seemingly unaware of how little his answer made sense. Forzen chuckled, and followed the trio into the observation room of the lab. Gordon looked down to see he was being led towards the group as Forzen held his hand. He decided not to say anything.</p><p>“I wonder what this button does…” Bubby thought out loud once the Nice Science Team was inside the observation room. He hit the button which suddenly caused loud sirens to blare. The door shut behind them, and Gordon yelped in fear.</p><p>The machinery near the top of the room seemed to charge up, preparing to do… something. It lit up suddenly, causing electricity to arc and fire into the walls. Gordon watched in awe before the Skeleton phased through the floor and table, standing directly underneath the operating machinery. Gordon’s breath caught in his throat, and he heard Forzen curse under his breath. Gordon grabbed Forzen’s hand, squeezing it as if to say “You see this too, right?” He figured now would be his chance.</p><p>“Guys. Guys. I need you to tell me- Can you see that too-” Gordon started before a bright white light flooded the room. He cursed as he was blinded momentarily. He blinked the spots out of his vision to see the skeleton still standing on the table.</p><p>“That was quite bright!” Bubby remarked unhelpfully.</p><p>“Do you guys fucking see that?” Gordon was desperate for answers.</p><p>“Yes! It’s a fully sterilized table, Gordon! All the organic matter in the room has been vaporized.” said Coomer.</p><p>Gordon kept staring at the Skeleton. Forzen stared at the Skeleton. The Skeleton stared back at the two of them. And then the door opened.</p><p>Gordon was the first to walk through. “I’m not taking my eyes off him.” Forzen followed suit, taking aim with his shotgun.</p><p>The Skeleton suddenly jumped off the table, ran to the corner of the room, and phased through the wall, disappearing without a trace. The two men remained silent, before Forzen broke it.</p><p>“Can’t stand that bitch.”</p><p>Gordon couldn’t help the wheezing laughter that came out of him.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>The Nice Science Team made their way into a server room. At both ends of the room were two elevators, seemingly made for carrying electronics in and out. A window was above the entrance they came in through, although no one was watching them. A large orange sign above the elevator read “BIOHAZARD. INFECTIOUS WASTE.” Further adding to the general ominous tone of the room. Gordon took it all in before he heard Coomer shout in front of him.</p><p>“Gordon look out, explosive devices!”</p><p>Coomer proceeded to shoot the claymores stationed near the exit of the room, causing them to explode. This caused another alarm to go off. Gordon was about to ask what was going on before the elevator suddenly came to life, bringing something down to the room. It was one of the larger alien grunts. Big, bulky, and armed with a biological weapon that shot projectiles with minds of their own. They sounded similar to bees. A well-placed grenade could take one down easily enough, so Gordon wasn’t afraid of that. What Gordon was afraid of was that the exit near the claymores was suddenly plugged with more U.S. Soldiers swarming into the room.</p><p>The Nice Science Team screamed while Gordon ran and ducked for cover behind one of the servers in the room. He heard the whoops and cheers of Bubby, Coomer, and Forzen as they put down every H.E.C.U. grunt that made their way in.</p><p>Gordon hated this. He was completely defenseless. He couldn’t shoot with his left arm, he couldn’t even swing with his left arm. He felt so god damn useless. If it wasn’t for Forzen taking pity on him (at least, he told himself it was just pity) then he would have been a dead man.</p><p>Eventually, the gunfire stopped and the room fell silent.</p><p>“Are we good?” Gordon shakily called out into the room, hoping he wouldn’t hear the crackle of a Marine’s radio answer him.</p><p>“I believe we’re good,” came Bubby’s snarky reply. “Where did you go?”</p><p>“I was hiding,” Gordon explained as he crawled out of his hiding spot. “Sorry, I gotta- I gotta be like a pussy right now, I’m not armed at all.”</p><p>“Fine work, Dr. Pussy!” Coomer’s jeer caused Gordon to laugh. “Yes, Indeed!” Bubby added on. Forzen walked towards Gordon, and lifted him by the collar of his H.E.V. suit.</p><p>“It’s ok bro, I’m uh- I’m a pussy ally.”</p><p>Gordon’s laughter turned into wheezing as Forzen’s jab left him breathless. He didn’t notice he was being put into a sitting position as Forzen ruffled through his bag.</p><p>“What are you two doing?” Bubby seemed annoyed that they were stalling.</p><p>“Gotta, uhh… patch Freeman up.” Forzen answered, not giving it too much thought. He pulled out gauze and disinfectant along with some wet wipes he forgot he had in his bag. He loosened the belt around Gordon’s arm, grimacing at the hiss that came from the Physicist. Forzen look at him.</p><p>“Get ready.” He sounded apologetic.</p><p>Gordon took a deep breath. “Really wish I had something to bite down on…” He sighed. “Ok, just do it.”</p><p>Forzen poured disinfectant on the wound, and Gordon <em> howled </em>. The burn was worse now, which meant that Forzen had to clean it up even more. Gordon scrunched his eyes shut, unable to see the guilty expression that crossed Bubby’s face. It took several minutes before Forzen decided it was enough for now. He re-tightened the Belt tourniquet and wrapped Gordon’s stub in gauze.</p><p>Gordon decided now would be a good time to open his eyes. He blinked the tears out of his eyes to see Forzen meticulously bandage his wounds with a solemn expression on his face. Gordon ended up relaxing somewhat. The pain was still horrible, but he felt a sense of relief knowing that someone cared about him. Forzen had been with him. He carried him, defended him, and would bandage his wounds. A cynical Scientist in Gordon’s brain reminded him that Forzen just had a stronger moral compass than his teammates; but the human part of him couldn’t help but smile. Christ, he cared about the Science Team, but they never treated him like <em> this </em>. After Forzen finished the gauze, he moved the cut forearm piece of Gordon’s H.E.V suit further up his arm. A bit of the body suit was also torn, exposing his tan skin. Gordon couldn’t help the warm, fluttery feeling in his chest when he felt Forzen’s fingers graze by his arm. Even through the pain, Gordon felt another human touch him, and he realized how absolutely touch-starved he was. </p><p>Forzen finally looked up at him, and Gordon couldn’t help but notice that the soldier’s eyes were milky, cloudy even. And yet, they still carried warmth in them.</p><p>“You ready to go?” Forzen’s voice was soft, oblivious to the feelings that were festering in the other man.</p><p>“Yeah. Can you help me up?” If Forzen noticed how light Gordon’s voice was, he didn’t say anything. He just stood up, and pulled Gordon up by the soldiers. Gordon wobbled just long enough while standing on his own two feet to make Forzen change his mind. The soldier put an arm around Gordon’s shoulder, keeping him balanced.</p><p>“Well, I assume it’s high time we get going!” Coomer broke the moment, and Bubby was more than happy to get out of this room. Forzen and Gordon walked together, and although the dense metal of the H.E.V prevented any warmth seeping through, Gordon couldn’t help but lean into Forzen’s touch.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Follow me on @drbahama on tumblr for more HL and HLVRAI content! :]</p></blockquote></div></div>
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